The site where they found 350 tablets with the writings of the fort residents. To keep it legal here is a link regarding the golden Nero coin that they found last year. http://www.vindolanda.com/_blog/pre...ase---rare-gold-coin-unearthed-at-vindolanda/ I spent most of today there, not enough time. I have never seen a museum like it. They have found six thousand shoes, a few are on display. The quality of the exhibits are stunning. If anybody is planning a visit to the UK, please, please take a day out to visit this place. If you are a "friend" of Vindolanda (25GBP), you can apply to be a volunteer digger on the excavations, unfortunately, my knees are not up to it these days. I know one person who did volunteer, he said it was the best two weeks of his life. I note from the website that the 2015 volunteer slots were filled within 15 minutes Info here about the site http://www.vindolanda.com/ Seriously, I very rarely recommend a place with such enthusiasm, but this place is something else entirely.
oh very cool pish..i've seen this place online before. i'm glad you got to visit...i'd love to get there myself some day.
Now if you would have gotten there earlier you might have found it. Seriously, great looking coin especially after all these years, exposed as it was. Have a great trip!
WOW! Congratulations for making the trip. I am so envious of you. To have stood next to the spot where it all went on (for so long) must have been an enormous thrill. Good on you, (from those of us who only stand and envy).
Definitely going back again, but will be more prepared next time. It pre-dates Hadrian's Wall, and it is about a mile south of it. There have been at least 9 forts there, they are currently excavating the foundations to find earlier parts of the fort which were timber. The finds so far are staggering. It is going to take me a few days to digest what I have seen. We are having a meteor shower, so I am off to watch that now. What a holiday
Hmmm...no puddle in my way just about 6 hours of driving. Thanks for posting this, going to have to make a trip there.
Wow! I will have to visit that place one day. I can imagine that life near the Wall must have been nasty and violent Thanks Pish!
It was probably just like in Game of Thrones (ya ya soap opera with swords) but with less snow and magical creatures.
@Jwt708, the guide said it was wetter and warmer (us Brits are obsessed with the weather) in those days. There are all sorts of springs under the site, making it a choice place to be. The name Vindolanda means white lawn, probably means that the snow lasted longer than normal within the shade of the surrounding hills. Don't know about magical creatures, but there is a shrine to Jupiter (I think) a weather god. Believe me, you need a God on your side in this part of the world.
@Pishpash I really feel sorry for those poor guys sent to garrison those forts! Poor Limitanei I am surprised that the Nero Aureus stayed in circulation until the late 300's!? I wonder how much it was valued compared to a Solidus?
@Pishpash I haven't been that far north, except to visit Edinburgh. I think that was last year spring time. Wish I would have known then! @Magnus Maximus I was just sort of doubtful of the use of the word circulation. It's probably my own ignorance but find it hard to believe that coin was actually still circulating.
@Jwt708 I think you have a good point. Perhaps a Legionnaire found it at the older fort (at Vindolana) and kept it as a charm or souvenir? Hoard evidence has shown that the older heavier weight Denarii and Aureii stopped circulating by the 260's so I'm with you on the "circulation" issue.
Store of wealth? Coin collector? Family treasure? Hopefully they found it within the context of other artifacts that may offer clues as to what it was up to.
@ M.M. - The first "Coin Collector". I wonder if his name was 'Numismatist'? That would explain a lot.
Fantastic post 'Pish'!! The 'story' behind that Gold aureus of Nero should be fascinating.. I'd love to go there, but my back and knee would probably make me more of a hindrance than any real help....so any visit would only be as an 'ageing' tourist (we don't say 'old dude' anymore, unless you're Donald Trump) LOL
